Golden State Warriors setting franchise records off the court

OAKLAND -- Even before the basketball season begins, the Golden State Warriors are winning -- off the court.

The team already has sold more than 14,000 season tickets, a franchise record, and will set another franchise record with 17 appearances in nationally televised games. And in guard Stephen Curry, they have one of the league's most marketable stars, one who stokes the team's fervent fan base and gives the Warriors a great shot of winning on the court as well.

"The Warriors may be young and up-and-coming, but they've already proven that they can perform in the playoffs," said Amy Brooks, a former Stanford guard who now serves as senior vice president for marketing and business operations for the NBA. "The Warriors have historically had a very loyal and passionate fan base. Their recent success has just driven this to a higher level."

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) chases after the ball against San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) in the third quarter for Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals at Oracle Arena on Thursday, May 16, 2013 in Oakland, Calif. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
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Doug Duran
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During last year's 47-35 season -- which ended with heartbreak in the second round of the playoffs -- Oracle Arena sold out a record 38 consecutive games. It was the largest sellout streak since the arena's capacity grew from 15,025 to 19,596 in 1998.

Helping sell tickets is one young player in particular. The Warriors' 25-year-old rising star, Curry, is a favorite for his humble demeanor off the floor and his shooting touch on the court that last season set an NBA regular-season record with 272 3-pointers.

On Friday, Curry and head coach Mark Jackson shot an installment in Los Angeles for the team's first appearance in ESPN's offbeat series of RV commercials that tease the network's basketball coverage while elevating the profiles of the players who star in them.

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In a league filled with superstars with names like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Curry's No. 30 will be one of the few to appear on T-shirts across the country in all Champs Sports stores through a partnership with the NBA.

"The Warriors' style of play, iconic logo and marquee players like Steph Curry and Harrison Barnes have driven interest in the Warriors far beyond the West Coast," said Frank Bracken, Champs Sports' vice president of marketing.

Last year, the team announced its intent to move across the bay to San Francisco, where it would turn Piers 30 and 32 into a new, privately financed 17,000- to 19,000-seat arena in the shadow of the Bay Bridge. They would still be called the "Golden State" Warriors and the team could start playing in the new arena in 2017.

For now, the team's offseason success represents sweet vindication for superfans such as Mike Wong, 43, who was born and raised in Berkeley but now lives in New York. He saw the Warriors in person eight times last year, including five games in Oakland.

"I'm a die-hard Warriors guy," Wong said.

Wong quickly ticked off the years, coaches, players, owners, false promises and missed opportunities he has suffered through as a Warriors fan -- until last season's playoff run followed by the hope of the upcoming season, which begins with preseason play Oct. 5 against the Lakers in Los Angeles, followed by the regular season opener on Oct. 30 in Oakland against the Lakers.

"It's the first time we have everything -- from the ownership down -- to have a real shot to be a contender and be a perennial 50-win-type franchise," Wong said.

Like the NBA itself, Wong expects great things from Curry, whose father, Dell, played in the league and gives Curry a bona fide NBA pedigree.

"He's a tremendously likable guy, extremely articulate and a family man at just 25 years old," Wong said. "He's an incredible package to market. He's not the kind of guy to get into trouble. He's the perfect face for the franchise."

The Warriors certainly grew their fan base through their playoff run last season, but team President Rick Welts said the Warriors' attraction comes from the team's chemistry.

"It's pretty clear to everybody who watches them that these guys are in it together," Welts said. "We have a group who like each other. It's a far cry from the Warriors teams that missed the playoffs in 17 of their previous 18 years."

Asked how the organization's off-court success might influence the team, Welts said he's excited about the possibilities.

"Success breeds expectations," he said. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

ticket sales
Tickets for Warriors' home games, which go on sale Tuesday, can be purchased at the Oracle Arena box office; on the team's website, Warriors.com; or by calling 888-GSW-HOOP. Tickets also are available at Ticketmaster.com or any Bay Area Ticketmaster retail location, including Save Mart, select Smith's Food & Drug, Sunvalley Mall and the Great Mall of the Bay Area.